The Most Hated Man in America

When you brazenly cheat on your wife, make racist comments about African Americans, and oversee one of the most consistently pathetic franchises in sports, you’re not going to win any popularity contests.

A new survey by E-Poll Market Research found Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling the most hated man in America. More than nine in ten respondents familiar with Sterling regarded him unfavorably.

Sterling, after a lifetime of relative obscurity save for in basketball and Los Angeles circles, made international headlines in April when TMZ revealed recorded conversations in which the billionaire owner implored his half-cetunry-younger mistress not to bring African Americans to Clippers games and not to pose in pictures with black people. In an instance of damage control leading to uncontrolled damage, Sterling sat for a disastrous interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper earlier this month. “What has he done? Can you tell me?” Sterling asked of Magic Johnson. “He’s got AIDS.”

Subsequent to TMZ’s release of the recordings, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver banned Sterling for life and meted out a $2.5 million fine. The NBA’s owners have since moved toward ousting Sterling from their ranks by forcing a sale of his team.

Sterling’s lawyers this week responded to the NBA’s actions in a 26-page argument. They contend, “No owner, coach, or player has ever been fined close to $2.5 million, banned for life, and forced to sell their property for any offense, let alone an alleged private speech-related offense.”